Improvement in car-couplings



2 Sheets-Sheet H. POTTER. Gar-Coupling.

Patented Nov.,12, |878.

2 Sheets--SheetI 2.

Dm Emo Ti TM. 0 u D10 .C Hb .na H0 PatentewrNm). 12, 187s.

Il PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

FFIGE.

HENRY H. POTTER, OF STERLINGVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 209,835, dated November12, 1878 application filed May 3, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. POTTER, of Sterlingville, in the county ofJefferson and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to certain improvements in car-couplings, and isdesigned as an improvement on a car-couplin g for which Letters PatentNo. 145,446 were granted to me December 9, 1873; and the inventionconsists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will behereinafter more fully set'forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing,which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1is a side elevation, showin g a lever foroperating the draw-head andcoupling-pin while standing on the platform of the car, also showing thepivoted part of the drawhead lowered ready to receive the couplinglink.Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with the operating-lever and its supportsremoved from the car, showing the coupling-link heldin position by thedraw-head. Fig. 3 is a front View of the draw-head shown in Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a top view ofthe draw-head shown in Fig. 2, with the body of thecar shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a central vertical longitudinalsection through the draw-head and its supporting mechanism. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the upper or horizontally sliding part of thedraw-head, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the lower part of thedraw-head.

In the accompanying drawing, 1 denotes the draw-head frame, constructedin any suitable manner to accommodate the parts hereinafter described indetail. Behind this frame 1 is arranged a cushion, 2,' designed to'relieve or ease oftl the pressure on the frame when two draw-headsimpinge in making up a train of cars.. The cushion may be supported orheld by any desired mechanism secured to the bottom of the car.

The draw-headismade in two parts-an upper or horizontally-sliding part,3, and a lower or pivoted vertically-movin g part, 4. The upper part, 3,of the draw-head and forward end of the frame 1 is held by a strap, 5,or other suitable mechanism, and secured to the bottom of the platformor end of the car. This upper part, 3, near its forward end, isconstructed with two lugs, 6, having right-angle extensions which reston top of the forward end of the frame 1, which is beveled to receivethem, and serve to keep this part 3 at all times in proper relation withthe frame 1. The lower part, 4, of the draw-head, va suitable distanceback of its center, is pivoted between two ears, 7, extending down fromthe upper part of the frame 1, as shown in Fig. 5 of drawing. The pin 8or fulcrum of the lower part, 4, extends out beyond the ears 7, andsupports ou one side an arm, 9, and on the other a lever, 10. Theforward end of the lever 10 and arm 9 are secured to the coupling-pinframe 1l. The back end of the lever 10 is constructed with a projection,12, as shown in Fig. 2 of drawing, to accommodate a flange, 13, on theoperating-lever 14.

The inner end ofthe side lever 14 is secured in any suitable manner tothe upper part, 3, of the draw-head, and is also centrallyr pivoted at15 to .the bottom of the car, and its'outer end held by an elongatedslide, 15%.

The construction shown in Fig. 3 of drawing may be used when desired. Inthis ease the operating-lever only extends to the pivotal point 15, andis provided with a crank, 16, connecting by a link, 17, with a likecrank, 18, secured to the lower end of a verticallyarranged lever, 19,for operating the drawhead while standing on the platform of the car.The levers 14 and 19V are provided with the further connection of astiff link, 20, which serves to convey the sliding movement to the upperpart, 3, of the draw-head, while the cranks 16 and 1S serve to providethe lever 14 with the required torsional movement by which the lowerpart, 4, of the draw-head is operated.

The upper part, 3, of the draw-head is provided witha bumper or face,21, having a suitable opening to receive the coupling-link 22. This facealso has two right-angle projections, 23, for supporting the forward endof the lower part, 4, when the draw-head is closed. The

lower part, 4, is provided on each side, nearits forward end, wlthprojections 24, to guide the link back in place, and alug, 25, whichserves as astop to receive the link 22 from an approaching draw-head, oras a shoulder to hold the link 22 and prevent it from sliding back inthe draw-head when the bumpers or faces 21 iinpinge in making theconnection. rIhe coupling-pin 26 passes down through the frame 1 and anelongated slot, 27, in the upper part,3, (shown in Figs. 4 and 6 ofdrawing,) into a snitable hole, 23, in the lower part, 4. (Shown in Fig.7 of drawing.) The coupling'pin 26 is held in place by a suitable bandor strap, 29,

bolted or otherwise detachably secured to the coupling-pin frame l1.

XVhen it is desired to place the coupling-link in the draw-head, thelever 14 is turned until the ange 13 forces the projection 12 of thelever 10 down, as in Fig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig.2 of drawing.This movement elevates the coupling-pin 26 to the position shown in Fig.1 of drawing; then, by forcing the outer end of the lever 14 back, asshown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 of drawing, and at the same time turningthe lever so as to bring the flan ge 13 to a horizontal position, theupper part, 3, of the draw-head is forced out until the lower part, 4,is freed from the extensions 23 of the face 21 and drops down below itsnormal position. rlhe link 22 is then passed through the opening in theface 2l back against the lug 25. Vhen the approaching draw-head strikesthe face 21 of the open or set draw-head, the upper part, 3, is forcedback, the oifset 30 strikes the projection 31 and throws the lowered endof the part 4 up in place, and holds it there by passing on top of it,as shown in Fig. 5 of drawing, the extensions 23 pass under the endthereof, and hold it in position. At the same time this is taking placethe projection 12 of the lever 10 is freed from the ilanges 13 of thelever 14, which lets the coupling-pin 26 drop down in place.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The frame 1 and strap 5, in combination with part 3, having lugs 6and lever 14, substantially as shown and described.

2. The lever 14, having a ange, 13, in oombination with the lever 10,ears 7, and pinframe 11, substantially as shown and described.

3. The flan ged lever 14, in combination with lever 10 and parts 3 and 4and frame 1, substantially as shown and described.

4. The sliding` upper part, 3, having a face, 21, provided withextensions 23, in combination with the pivoted lower part, 4, providedwith projections 24 and lug 25, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of' two witnesses.

HENRY H. POTTER.

Witnesses:

H. B. BROWN, ALBIN ".\I. LONG.

